Trent Bridge & The Ashes

I don't think there's a right minded cricket fan in the country who can believe TB has missed out on hosting an Ashes Test next summer. Whats all the more galling is the fact that its been ignored in favour of a ground that's basically not much more than an outground and thats not hosted a Test before. Surely Cardiff should have done its 'apprenticeship' like The Riverside and hosted the minor sides like Zimbabwe,Bangladesh and The Windies 1st in Tests. Even the press have noted with astonishment the lack of Ashes action in Nottingham next season and outside of London there is no better cricket ground in the country.

I know I'm biased being a member but yesterday brought home what a special venue TB is and what a shameful decision it is to deny it such a prestigious game on what seems political grounds. To add insult to injury there isn't even a test match there next season, and the T20 World Cup is a pretty poor consolation prize.

Can say the same every time Old Trafford or Headingley doesn't get a Test.

Shame of the matter is, it'd be so much best to have six-Test Ashes series, but that simply isn't viable any more, unless you reduce the number of Tests per summer by 1. Or, even, increase it by 1, getting rid of all international Twenty20 and all bar maybe 5 ODIs.

Can say the same every time Old Trafford or Headingley doesn't get a Test.

Shame of the matter is, it'd be so much best to have six-Test Ashes series, but that simply isn't viable any more, unless you reduce the number of Tests per summer by 1. Or, even, increase it by 1, getting rid of all international Twenty20 and all bar maybe 5 ODIs.

Haha, yeah, what with this Twenty20 stuff, it presumably will. International tournaments mean rules have exceptions, though.

I don't like the idea of a seven-Test series though, it's never been done (yeah yeah, I know, some records have the 1970\71 series as seven games, but it wasn't, it was six and everyone knows it was six - there was one washed-out entirely and the extra game was only added because of this) and never should for mine. Six is good (The 'Gabba, Bellerive Oval, Adelaide Oval, The WACA, The MCG, The SCG; Edgbaston, Lord's, Old Trafford, Headingley, Trent Bridge, The Oval). Seven is not.

Haha, yeah, what with this Twenty20 stuff, it presumably will. International tournaments mean rules have exceptions, though.

I don't like the idea of a seven-Test series though, it's never been done (yeah yeah, I know, some records have the 1970\71 series as seven games, but it wasn't, it was six and everyone knows it was six - there was one washed-out entirely and the extra game was only added because of this) and never should for mine. Six is good (The 'Gabba, Bellerive Oval, Adelaide Oval, The WACA, The MCG, The SCG; Edgbaston, Lord's, Old Trafford, Headingley, Trent Bridge, The Oval). Seven is not.

I was joking tbh

The reason it's five isn't because of the T20 - it's because we're due to play ZImbabwe

I completely agree, Trent Bridge is an incredible ground. I have been there for the Tests for the last two years and I have absolutely loved it. The players love playing there, the media love working there and the crowd loves going there. It is in a brilliant position in Nottingham too.

It was a strange decision to leave Trent Bridge and Old Trafford out of the venues to host the Ashes next year, they both had very special matches in 2005. I have nothing against Cardiff having a Test venue, but it is peculiar - would Cricket Australia allow the first Ashes Test to be played in Canberra? Why, also, has it taken the traditional first Test of the series away from Lord's?

There's no long-standing tradition about Lord's having the opening Test. It's only been the last 5 years that the opening Test of both series has been at Lord's. As recently as 2003, the series against South Africa started at Edgbaston. So did The Ashes 2001, so did the Wisden Trophy series in 2000, so did the series against New Zealand in 1999, so did the series against South Africa in 1998, so did The Ashes 1997.

Can say the same every time Old Trafford or Headingley doesn't get a Test.

Shame of the matter is, it'd be so much best to have six-Test Ashes series, but that simply isn't viable any more, unless you reduce the number of Tests per summer by 1. Or, even, increase it by 1, getting rid of all international Twenty20 and all bar maybe 5 ODIs.